Tales of the Line of Durin's Folk
by thefallensdesires
Summary: A collection of short stories about Fili, Kili and Thorin. On the eve of the battle of the five armies Fili and Kili take watch and talk about the changes they have seen in their Uncle.


**A/N:** I had this idea after watching the Battle of Five Armies at the cinema. Having read the Hobbit first as a little girl I have always loved the characters of Fili, Kili and Thorin. There are many points both good and bad that I could make concerning Peter Jackson's film series. One of which being that the casting was brilliant and I loved his characterisation of the dwarves as individuals. For this fanfic I have chosen to include Tauriel; whilst I hated the storyline at first and the convenient nature of her character (she always turns up to save the day) I have chosen to include her in my writing. This will be a collective of short story chapters regarding Thorin, his nephews, and possibly, his brother and his sister Dis. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Brothers of Durin: On the Eve of Battle<strong>

* * *

><p>Looking out over the top of Thorin Oakenshield's make-shift barrier; two dwarven brothers, one fair haired and one dark kept watch over reclaimed lands, in the distance they could see the fires lit by the refugees of Lake Town; their light was a point of focus for the dwarves who guarded whilst their kin searched the mountain stronghold for the lost Arkenstone. The <em>King's Jewel<em> had claimed another possession in Thorin; the brother's thoughts on this matter were disquieting them.

"I fear for him," Fili confessed. Sat with his back against hard rock he was uncomfortable but used to little else from the months they had spent on the road. Although finally back in the halls of their forefathers neither dwarf could feel at home. The air inside the stronghold was thick and musty, with the stench of dragon's breath still lingering. There were footprints left in dust from where their kin had fled. Neither brother had dared yet to look upon the bodies.

"This place is a tomb." Kili laid back up against the rock with his knees propped up before his chest, his large hands draped casually over them. "There may be gold and treasure beyond our wildest thoughts but there are ghosts here that would have been better left rested." He was referring to the Arkenstone as much as to the charred remains of their kin, still left to lie in the places where they had died.

Fili frowned at his younger brother, "this is the home of our King and the legacy of our bloodline. Many died the day the dragon, long may his name be cursed, descended and lay waste to all that came into his path. This was once a place of great feasts and songs, the like of which Durin's Folk have not experienced since. There was prosperity and peace for all who lived here and there might well be such again." Even with a bandage wrapped around his leg to cover his almost mortal wound, Kili still seemed without care; Fili decided that he would need to face away from where his brother lay and stood up using the hilt of one of his swords to walk to the west of the wall. His words would have been an echo of Thorin's had their Uncle been keeping watch up on the rampart with them. In the darkness Fili's keen eyes could still see the tents of Thranduil and his ilk; they were based within the refugee camp and sheltered by the ruins of Dale, conspiring with its residents to wage a war with great loss to all but elf-kind.  
>He looked from there to where some fire and smoke still continued to consume the last of Lake Town and wondered if their Uncle could finally know peace here.<p>

"I shouldn't think that we should live to see it," the voice cut through Fili's thoughts.

As he spoke Kili began to play around with a pebble he had picked up from the rampart, his mind on the talisman their mother Dis had gifted to him. He thought of her face when she had sworn him to his promise; a proud dwarven princess she had held a slight sparkle in the depth of her eyes that told of forthcoming tears, he tried not to think of that, nor of the lady he had given it away to. Their faces did not belong in this dark and forgotten place.

Fili turned to look at him and Kili smiled ruefully: "I should think that Thorin would rather die of starvation than make peace with our neighbours over there. I've half a mind to run to the elves and present them with the Arkenstone myself, if only to get us out of this prison."  
>Fili's mouth opened wordlessly and with a wicked light caught in his eye Kili finished; "if only I knew where the Arkenstone was."<p>

"Has the poison driven you mad?" Fili wondered out loud and had to turn his back for fear he would raise his sword.  
>It was not Kili he was upset by. Kili was not at fault to be feeling so disheartened.<p>

There was an air malingering within Erebor that caused madness to come easily to those who breathed it, closing his eyes he tried to withhold harsh words but still they tumbled out; "you only feel that this is a prison because we have come to the end of our venture and there are no more flights of fancy and such like to amuse you. If this place were truly inhabited by our kin and felt as home should you would still be patrolling the ramparts with one eye cast off to the distance for your next affair. I do not think you would feel so light nor would your words be so crass were that she-elf here to withstand you."

* * *

><p>Kili stopped in his play with the pebble to stare sharply at his brother. The longer he looked the more his carefree face transcended into an expression compiled of both hurt and anger. His brow became furrowed and for that moment he became more alike to Thorin than to himself. In all of his young seventy-seven years he had never been spoken to in such terms, either by friend, foe, or worst still, kin.<p>

"I would think that words would be of such little convenience, be it that elves are of such a superior footing to dwarves," he spat back throwing the pebble to the wall. It bounced and struck Fili in the cheek in passing, he was glad.

Fili stooped to pick up the pebble; he had mistaken it for the talisman and now he looked and saw his error, "you gave her mother's stone?" His expression was quizzical. Having received no such present, for of both her son's Dis knew Fili needed no reminder of those awaiting him at home, he had accepted a parting kiss on the forehead and his brother's companionship as his charm for their quest to Erebor. Now he felt shame for the harshness of his words and the source of his frustration became clearer. As clear as if the bristle of his mother's dark stubble and her low growling voice were in his ear to reprimand him. He tossed the pebble back lightly to his brother and knew that an apology had been accepted in its catching.

There was a silence in which Kili looked down at the pebble, "though she is not of our folk I love her, as you love Dantae."

Dantae was a dwarf-maid of Ered Luin. One of few dwarf women close to their age she had a fair beard that Fili had sworn softer than silk itself, and flowing golden hair to match. She was barely seventy five years of age and had cheeks rosier than an apple bud in spring. Although it was rare for dwarf men to meddle in matters of love - rarer than it was to find any females in the dwarf species -Fili had sworn to wed her once Erebor had been reclaimed and wore a bracelet made of iron on his left wrist to honour him to that.

Of dwarvish men Fili and Kili could be said to have hearts of cotton, shielded by stone, and Thorin would attribute this to their mother being left alone to raise them. Dis was a passionate yet gentle woman, unless provoked, and had grown fierce following the death of her husband; in the aftermath of the battle of Azanulbizar, Fili and Kili's father had been slaughtered on a trade run.

Twisting the bracelet around his wrist Fili thought of Dantae at home in Ered Luin with his mother and wondered if both were thinking of him. If word had yet reached Dain of the Iron Hills that King Thorin and his company required aid he knew that such news would have been passed on to Dis. At the least, he hoped, they should know that if all had gone well the company would have reached Erebor and soon they would be sent to join him.

He looked to his brother, "it doesn't matter that she is not of our folk. It matters that she could not be beside you. With her kinfolk camped and set against us as enemies by her King over in what little now remains of Dale, would you still see yourself in future alliance with her? Fair elf-folk were not made for the dark mines of the mountains, nor stone dwarves crafted for the trees of the wood. How would you live a life together? When hers is so long and yours is half spent?"

The brothers' eyes met and both knew that Fili was not saying these words to be cruel, yet Kili, once again playing with the pebble he had replaced as his talisman, turned away to stand on the eastern edge of the wall to also look towards the lost city of Dale. "I would build a home for us," he said determinedly, his mind half set and half wistful, as he looked at the spot in question with a wry smile on his face. He pointed to the hill just above the city of Dale where the tops of the dark trees of Mirkwood could also just be seen, "and I would build it there. Between the borders of her people and mine, so I would be within sight of Erebor and the Great Kingdom of Thorin," he shot Fili another wry look, "as aided by Fili and his bride, and Tauriel would still be within reach of her homeland," here he straightened up, looked at his brother, and tried to regain his usual sense of humour, "should she need to go off and do, elf things."

Fili laughed but only slightly, for he knew his brother well and did not wish to upset him further. "Be serious Kili, how would you be able to work in Uncle Thorin's mines?"

Kili looked back and smiled again, "well, as a prince of the honourable house of Durin's Folk I would not expect to work. Although, I suppose if that were to be so, I would have to ask our dear old friend Thranduil to loan me his Stag."

The two brothers set about laughing. Although both held sadness in his eyes for they were starting to suspect that the things they talked about could not be, and both felt leaderless.

Kili turned and threw the pebble over the wall, "alas, it was only a dream. If I get out of this alive I'd be lucky to get my talisman back."  
>He could not expect to see Tauriel again.<p>

Fili patted his shoulder and lightened the tone of his voice to rouse him, "come on, what's a dwarf's trinket to an elf maid? She'll give it back to you if only to throw it in your face for being such shoddy present."

Kili slumped down back against the wall, this last joke having dampened his already delicate mood, and picked up another pebble to start tapping it against the ground:"do you think Thorin's temper will improve once he's found the Arkenstone?" He changed the subject with ease for both brothers were not far from thinking of it. Upon entering the halls of Erebor and seeing first-hand the glory of the kingdom of his birth-right; the mountains of gold coins and store of precious gems piled between beautifully hewn and moulded pillars of rock; Kili's thoughts had been tainted by the strange light he had seen in the eyes of Thorin.

"I don't know," Fili slumped down beside him and adopted the same seating position of both feet on the floor with knees bent upwards and apart. He used his sword to pick dirt out of the stones, lost for a moment in his thoughts; there was a light in Thorin's eyes that had grown upon entering the mountain, he still held his pride yet there was something different and disturbing about him. Within the space of a day or so some part of the accursed mountain had claimed him.

"For as long as we are hiding ourselves away I doubt Thorin's madness will ever cease. His quest was never about reclaiming Erebor so much has it become about his right to rule. Until he can prove to himself that he is the rightful King Under the Mountain we will have lost our leader and shall never claim this land as home."

It was unlike Fili to question Thorin's judgement and so Kili studied his brother's expression. He was frowning at the point of his sword as he scraped it across the jagged rock.

* * *

><p>"Be careful now boy, a blunt weapon is only a danger to its master," Kili was quoting Thorin.<br>"And a joke to his enemies," Fili finished and lay down his sword. He had heard this statement many more times than Kili, for Thorin could not afford to be as lenient with his first born heir.  
>Once again Fili's eyes drifted over to the camps at Dale. Good judgement, he had always thought, made the mark of a good leader. "He should have compensated Bard," he said in a low tone, almost hoping that his brother wouldn't hear.<p>

Kili stayed silent because he agreed.

"The dragon has been slain for us and we have offered the people of Esgaroth nothing for the losses they suffered through our return. This is a time when we should be making alliances, not enemies," Fili took a breath. "We sit in the arms of our forefathers but they would surely feel shame if they could see us now. From tales Thorin told us, the warriors of old would not have hidden behind stone barriers whilst waiting for others to defend them. He should be leading us into a treaty so we can rebuild our lost city and fight against our real enemies. Instead he has allowed himself to be taken in by the greed and the gold."  
>There was more he might have said but he stopped himself. It made his face feel hot and his gut feel guilt to talk about his Uncle in that way.<p>

It was Kili's turn to try to lighten the tone. "Can you blame him? There is rather a lot of it."  
>He received a rather withering look in response and yet continued to try. "Thorin has gone mad; you'd be a fool not to notice it. But he's not lost to it yet. He'll come back to us I'm sure, but he needs time to adjust to what he's accomplished."<p>

Fili looked doubtful, "by your words he's led us to a tomb. And," he went quiet for a moment, a telling sign that he was feeling uncomfortable, "his eyes don't trust the company anymore. I think he believes that one of us may have taken the Arkenstone."

Kili shrugged in response, "someone probably has. For his own good I should think, and before you ask it wasn't me."

At this moment a small and hooded figure crept out onto the rampart. As both dwarves were turned away from the stairs they didn't see the slightly trembling hobbit take one look at them before placing his new trinket on his finger and disappearing into the night. He had gone to give the Arkenstone as treaty to Thranduil and would not be back until that fateful morning. With others minds so much on their own troubles no one noticed him slip away.

* * *

><p>"Neither of us could ever betray Thorin," Fili stood and began picking his swords up to sheath them. "I shouldn't like to imagine that anyone else within the company could either." He decided to end their talk and hope that Kili – who perhaps knew him better – would prove to be right about his mind only being temporarily insane. "Come, we should be off to the armoury. If we are to have a battle tomorrow I want to be armed to the teeth whilst I hide in the halls of our fathers. It's Bofurs turn to take watch now anyway; no doubt he'll be glad of the rest from searching."<p>

Kili also stood, "I should think he'll be gladder of the chance to crack open that bottle of wine I saw him collect when we were searching the food stores." The two laughed even as they saw Bofur making his way up to the stairs towards them.

"Wine?" Their companion called, for as he had been coming up the passage he had heard the latter of their conversation, "I don't know what you mean. Come down and crack on lads, there's plenty of searching still to do." He paused to hide the bottle in his jacket before continuing up the stairs.

"I wouldn't worry about your Uncle Thorin making you miss out on the battle tomorrow; he wouldn't want to let Dain have all the fun, not when it comes to knocking a few elves about," he stumbled, "no offence Kili. I'm sure your lass ought to be left out of all the fighting."

"She's not my lass," Kili defended. Fili and Bofur looked at him sceptically. "And she'll fight if she wants to. I'm going to the armoury," with that he left the parapet and made his way down the stairs.

Bofur looked to Fili for an explanation, his head turned so quickly that the flaps on his hat almost caught Fili in the eye, "What was all that about?"  
>Fili simply looked after his brother and after patting his companion's shoulder the once, made his leave also. "Those dwarves are a world onto their own," Bofur exclaimed before settling down with his wine for the watch.<p> 


End file.
